2016 26.2 The Future is Abundant

The Future is Abundant, that’s what the Tilth movement’s leaders named our founding publication more than 40 years ago. Whether you live in a city or rural area, own or lease a farm, raise livestock or vegetable crops, you are critical to an ecosystem that is creating the bountiful world the founding fathers and mothers of Seattle Tilth, Tilth Producers and Cascade Harvest Coalition envisioned.

What is it that connects us? In the end it’s surprisingly simple: we all work to ensure that every family can choose to eat healthy foods, and every farmer can make a good living.

With the merger of these three powerful organizations, the work of integration has begun. As one, we renew our commitment to our founding principles, while serving a statewide constituency that includes “farmers and foresters, producers and consumers, urban and rural, rich and poor.”

The differences between the merged organizations were mostly an illusion to begin with. Separately we worked to create alternatives to an unsustainable and damaging food system. Together we will flex our muscles to realize our vision of abundance and vitality. By focusing on what we have in common, we join each other around the same table. From a solid foundation in shared values, we begin a thoughtful conversation about how land is cared for, how food is grown and gets to market, and how we prepare and enjoy meals.

Over the next twelve months, our board of directors will host listening sessions around the state to hear the hopes, desires and concerns of Washington’s communities of producers and eaters. Each region of the state brings unique views that are as distinct as its climate. The voices, passion and perspectives of Washington State’s producers, foresters and farmers are the strands that make a web of abundance possible. To fulfill the promise of our founders’ vision, you must be among the leaders in the conversation.

Your contributions will help define the movement’s critical work. The first of these listening sessions is on Saturday, April 23 in Olympia. I very much hope to meet some of you there.

Please know, as a supporter of this new organization, you are already a change maker. The work we do together is a planted seed that will grow… and grow… and grow. Together, we will enable more people to make empowered decisions, ensuring that food is grown, harvested, sold and consumed in ways that support the earth and those who work it. I value your partnership as we create an abundant world for ourselves and future generations.

Please share your thoughts on how we can be more powerful, together. I’d love to hear from you.

Andrea Platt Dwyer, Executive Director, is embracing the challenges of creating a sustainable and equitable food system and welcomes your input. andreadwyer@seattletilth.org, 206-633-0451.